Adventures in Ursia
by TepigTurtwig
Summary: In an all new region, a timid young trainer named Percival begins his journey to defeat the 8 Gyms and battle in the Pokemon League. Watch as he meets new people, faces opponents tougher than anything he could ever imagine, and grows into a stronger, more confident person alongside his Pokemon partners.
1. Beginnings

The chime of a wind-up Noctowl rung in Percival's ears, the last call of a now dead tradition in his life. As he slowly climbed out of bed, careful to avoid any injuries, he glanced at the old toy clock, with a saddening, wistful eye. As interested as he was in his journey, a part of him wanted to always stay in this room, always waking up to that clock. After his journey, he would be an adult. Two years of travel and challenge, and he would be eighteen.

Maybe he would be lucky, and best the challenges of Ursia. However, he doubted it. After all, he was the intellectual child out of the three, not the coordinator his younger sister was, and not the trainer that his much older brother was. He had a tactical mind, and was keen on victory, but he was too...planned. To him, a plan did not adapt. To others, he did not adapt. But maybe this would be a chance to prove them wrong, to assert himself and all the work he'd put into the journey ahead.

Newly empassioned, Percival began dashing towards the stairs. His room, like all of those in the house, was spacious. His mother and father were once competing Pokemon trainers, who were both experts on the field of battle. The prize money they recieved back then from their battles, and now in their careers, was enough to buy a large house in the center of the urban center of the Ursia Region: Birmabright City.

As he left his room, he glanced to his left, instinctually, as a fluffy pink bear leapt out, the same texture as all the other plushes in the toy chest it came from. This was Percival's Stufful, which he had affectionately named Fluffles. Fluffles was a gift from his mother, who was a Normal-Type Gym Leader. Her Pokemon had more children than she expected, so she decided to give one to her middle child, and never regretted it, despite the rampant damage the suprisingly powerful bear Pokemon caused. After all, it was wild and eager, and could not control its strength, a perfect fit to Percival, who needed all the boosts he could get to engage with others, especially now that it was critical to his success in the next 2 years. He didn't need to become some outspoken personality, but she knew, from experience, that the best journey was one where the trainer learned about themself, and improved by reaching out and confronting countless other perspectives.

Percival continued from his perspective of caution, even as he slowly descended the stairs, letting one foot slowly pad out the floor before the other followed, in a continously deft and obnoxiously graceful motion. As he approached the bottom stair, Fluffles clambered off of Percival's shoulder, quickly scarfing up his treats from his bowl. He knew that he would likely never eat from that bowl again, but was content in knowing his trainer was far too much of a worrywart to forget his Pokemon's food. Although, from the looks of the emaciated boy, one might guess that he always forgot his own food. Well, by choice or not, that was more food for Fluffles, which the little bear knew it needed and always wanted.

As Percival began scooping up his bag, which he had packed the night before with assistance from his parents, his father glanced up from his tablet, waving. He was caught up in his conversation on the phone, but found a place to stop it. As a proffesional dog breeder, his Furfrou were always in high demand, but never once did the man waver in his commitment to only selling them to families that would treat them well. And if a family did not treat them well, he used his contract that they had signed to get the poodle Pokemon back. "So, Percival, ready for your big adventure?"

"Um, I suppose so. You prepared me well, what do I have to worry about?" The boy quivered slightly. It wasn't fear, far from it, but a general worry about being separated so long from his family. The longest he had been gone from them before was when he got lost in the woods while playing with one of his father's Furfrou. Needless to say, that Furfrou, now named Charles, was a lifelong companion of Percival, and awaiting him outside.

"You shouldn't be so scared. It'll be fun! Besides, if your brother's success is anything to go by, our expertise is likely genetic." The joke fell slightly flat, but with the way Percival's father laughed at his own gag, you could never tell.

"Thanks, I guess. Well, goodbye hug? I gave mom one yesterday, before she went off on her business trip." Percival's mother did not work at Birmabright, instead running the Gym found in nearby Italma Town. He had decided, while mapping his journey, to save her Gym for the middle of the journey, so he would have a guaranteed chance to see some of his family midway through.

As the father and son embraced, an idea suddenly popped into the mind of the father. "Oh, I almost forgot. Now, I know you're the smart one, but just to make sure: repeat to me all the rules of the Pokemon League Challenge. I want to make sure you don't go off and ruin your journey because I was irresponsible."

Percival smiled, but knew that a part of his father was being a bit competitive, pushing Percival to victory. "The League requires you to defeat 8 of the various Gyms set in the larger towns and cities in the region, each themed around a certain type. If you lose a Gym Challenge, you must wait a month before you can attempt to battle that Gym Leader again. Upon gathering the 8 Badges from the Gyms, signifying victory, you progress through Victory Road, and wait for the next Pokemon League to begin, which is a tournament that a trainer may attend once for every 8 Badges they collect. The winner of the Tournament is crowned the Champion, and gains a hefty reward as well as fame and recognition. A Pokemon League tournament takes place every 2 years. The last one finished about 2 weeks ago, and-"

"Okay, Percival, I think you've got it. Make sure to grab Charles, and head off. Best of luck!" Percival nodded in thanks, and ran out the door, making sure to grab everything he needed, which amounted to a fairly large backpack. As he headed outside, he was knocked to the floor and covered in slobbers as his Furfrou, Charles, ran up. Charles, although he had not known Percival as long as Fluffles, considered himself the true protector of the boy, and understood him on an intimate level that even his siblings likely didn't. "Charles, good boy, but we need to get going!" Percival fished out two Pokeballs from his belt, recalling Charles and Fluffles. He loved them both, but he needed to get going.

As he ran off, he looked in his bag, fishing out the Pokedex he had mail-ordered a while back. The encyclopedia of Pokemon knowledge would help him better understand the Pokemon encountered, perhaps providing the edge he needed in the battles on the road ahead. The frail, thin 16-year-old smiled, and dashed down the streets of the towering city, prepared for the journey ahead of him.

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 6

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 9

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Thanks for reading! This was the first chapter of my first ever Fanfiction. Sorry if it was very loaded with terminology: while this story is definitely meant Pokemon fans, I wanted to leave just enough vocab out there that people knew to the franchise can still pick this up and enjoy it for the character moments and strategics. Anyways, I hope you stay for Chapter 2!


	2. Darkened Hoods, Darkened Moods

Percival's journey was just underway, and already about to get serious. As he walked through the city, Charles following him obediently and Fluffles on his shoulder (since he decided to let them both out again), he heard a loud chanting noise and a large crowd of people. As he looked to his right, he spotted what was happening. Across the street, a group of curious onlookers had gathered around a group of oddly-dressed individuals. Each was adorned in dark robes, with a draping hood that concealed their whole face. A prism could be spotted on their chest, each of their wrists, and the very tip of their hood. Percival didn't have to look twice to instantly know they were a cult.

As he approached, entering the crowd, the chanting stopped, and one of the cultists walked up to a microphone on the center of the stage, and spoke. "Greetings, citizens of Birmabright. We are all members of the Prism of Truth, and are here to explain to you what we intend to do. See, we have studied the fascinating Legendary Pokemon Necrozma; however, as you all know, these nigh omnipotent Legendary Pokemon are hard to come by, and almost as hard to study. Necrozma is the master of darkness, said to steal the light of the Moon and Sun of any world it comes in contact with. We wish to bring it to this world. Why?"

"Quite simple, really. This world deserves to die. Too many lies, too much hatred, too much corruption. Vile human beings of all walks of life threaten to destroy this world that we have been given alongside Pokemon. And thus, we have come to conclusion: we must summon Necrozma, take the light, and let ourselves die to let the world proceed as it did long before we came into existence. Believe me, we are no weak, tiny group. We are powerful, and growing in power everyday. To prove it, we challenge any of you brave enough to face us in a friendly Pokemon battle. Nothing on the table, just a plain, simple battle."

Plucky young trainers approached the cultists, challenging them to battles. Not many veteran trainers were there, and thus, the cultists were scoring many easy victories, leaving the new trainers in tears and the audience in shock. If these emissaries could decimate Pokemon of all types and sizes so quickly, they would be unstoppable if the stronger cultists were there, and invincible if they had the powers of a Legendary Pokemon on their side.

And so, sensing the panic in the crowd, Percival nervously scooted and excused his way to the front of the crowd, who looked with sympathy on what they assumed was another trainer dared by some friends into an ego blast from these cultists. Percival knew that morale was important, but he didn't have it in him to make it a show. And so, he quietly edged up to a cultist that has just scored a victory, tapping him on the shoulder with a nervous, shaky nod that could easily have been mistaking for him refusing a batlte. But the cultist saw it for what it was, and sent out his Pokemon, the Dark type Purrloin. The purple cat Pokemon smiled wickedly, on a streak of victories against these rookie trainers. And Percival, in his blue vest, and otherwise entirely black atire, seemed like a slightly posh, yet entirely rookie, trainer.

Percival nodded to Fluffles, allowing the little plushie bear to be his Pokemon for this battle. While Charles was stronger in battle, Fluffles was a Fighting and a Normal type, giving him an edge against Dark Types. Well, or so he hoped the cultist would think. Fluffles really didn't have any moves to capitalize on his Fighting Type, and thus, was likely another easy victory for the cultist. But he had to try, for the sake of the courage of the other people in the crowd. And Fluffles, well, he was going to give it his all. Never before had Percival been in a high stakes Pokemon battle, only occasionally sparring with his siblings while they were younger. But this was raw and real, and more depended on this than he would ever have wanted.

"Fluffles, strike at it with a Tackle!" Percival commanded his Stufful, as the pink bear leapt at his opponent, failing to strike the cat as it deftly, on its two legs, skipped away and sprung off a nearby building, using the aerial velocity to empower its next move. "Scratch!" the cultist commanded, as a claw was brandished and raked into the Stufful. Percival winced as his Pokemon braced itself for another ferocious strike, as the cultist ordered another Scratch attack. Before Fluffles could even react, the Purrloin was out of reach. Percival had no idea how they were planning on winning this, although he did know what move to use next.

"Bide!" Fluffles began to glow with white energy, as the cultist commanded for another Scratch. Fluffles took the scratch head on, much to the disappointment of the cultist. "I know full well what you are planning with Bide, but you aren't going to be able to pull it off at this rate." Percival nodded, grimly. As he scoured the arena, he hoped Fluffles wouldn't let up on the defense. Bide relied on Fluffles taking as much damage as possible, which he would then fire back two-fold at the target. Only problem was the speed of this Purrloin, as well as Fluffles being locked out of using any other moves while charging up his Bide.

As more claw strikes struck, Percival recognized that Fluffles could likely only take one or two more, as did the Cultist. "Use Scratch again!" As the Purrloin sprung up the building again, this time climbing on all fours to expediate the process, Percival spotted a win condition: a trash can. "Make a mess, Fluffles," he said, glancing towards the bin of rubbish. As Fluffles pranced over, knocking over a few cultists, kids, and crowd members, the Purrloin leaped at him again, landing the Scratch. As it began to spring off of him, he accidentally skidded into the trash bin, flipping it over as the trash spewed everywhere, disorienting the Purrloin long enough for the trash bin to catch it, trapping both it and Fluffles within it. While neither trainer could see their Pokemon in the flipped over bin, the white blast that blasted the trash can to pieces revealed who won: Percival.

Stunned, the cultist was forced to withdraw his Purrloin, with the white blast drawing all eyes towards Percival's battle. The crowd, in awe of the spectacle they had witnessed, waited for a comment from Percival. The best he could muster was a whispered pun "And that is how one victory can overshadow countless defeats." A moan-cheer was felt throughout the crowd, and the battles ceased soon after. Sure, it was a hollow victory compared to all the many defeats at the hands of these greenhorn grunts, but it was what the crowd needed.

Satisfied with his Pokemon, Percival called over Stuffles to himself. "You know, on second thought, let's head back to our house. I think we both need a bath before heading out. Besides, mom needs to know about this. I have a bad feeling we're going to see these guys a whole lot more in the future."

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 7

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 9

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Thank you all for sticking with this! I hope it's picking up slightly. It's been pretty plot heavy so far, with only a few demonstrations of character on the part of Percival, but the next few are going to be more character driven. Thanks again!


	3. Simple Delites

The journey was _actually_ beginning today, and Percival had a mind to start it off in the most delicious way he could think of: Slurpuff's Slurred Puffs. His favorite pastry store in the whole city, this medium-sized establishment sold all sorts of delicacies, with at least one pastry for anyone. And Percival loved their pizookies. Granted, he himself could never finish one, but combined with the ravenous might of Fluffles, the two could easily scarf one or two down. Percival ordered a box of macarons for Charles, and together they sat down at the nearby table.

As Fluffles tried to clamber into the tall seat opposite to his trainer, he stumbled, fell, and took the chair down with him. Without a second thought, Percival sprung from his chair, making sure his Pokemon was alright. A woman nearby shouted at him, scolding, "Watch your Pokemon, young man! That scoundrel almost swept me to the floor."

Percival nodded solemnly, scooting away akwardly. "Yes, ma'am." The woman pressed forward. "Not even an apology?" Percival responded with the requested item, to which the woman huffed. He quivered slightly, worried he had done something wrong, before she headed off, as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I should have been more careful. Here, let's try this." Percival took a nearby doorstopper that was not being used, and propped it up near the now finished box of macarons. As the Stufful ran up it, it tripped, bouncing on the macarons and springing up to the top of the chair. "Thank you, Charles, for letting me use the box. I hope those macarons were good. They cost like, 20 Pokedollars or something close to that."

The poodle Pokemon nodded obediently, and helped prop Fluffles up onto his chair, allowing him to finish the rest of the pizookie, before offering to take the boxes to the trash. Percival sighed, petting Charles in gratitude, before taking the boxes himself and ushering his Pokemon to come with him. Buying a hot chocolate for the road, Percival began to take a sip, and glanced around. He was on a budget of 200 Pokedollars today, and had already spent 50.

And thus, of course, next came the sallon. While Fluffles was not a fan of grooming, Charles adored having his fur trimmed in new patterns, as Percival had discovered when Charles tried to cut his own hair once with a butcher knife. It was an event, to say the least, but no one was hurt due to quick thinking on the part of Percival and a box of chocolates.

Percival ordered himself a haircut that was in fashion, but still basic and easy to maintain. He didn't have time for swoopy bangs or partitions in the hair. A plain, slightly gelled crew cut always did the trick, especially due to the golden nature of his pale blonde hair. Furfrou made sure to add in a fashionable dye, bringing the salon total to 120 Pokedollars. 30 left.

Percival continued walking, spotting a Hypno holding a sign, asking for money. Sighing, he petted his Pokemon, before dropping 30 in. The Hypno's trainer was nearby, asleep, so Percival couldn't take it for his own, but if the Hypno had a good relation with its trainer, why would he want to? And thus, he was out of money for the day. Grinning, he looked down, happy to see his Pokemon had not tripped or gotten lost throughout the day. It was good practice, in terms of routine, directions, and walking, for what was to come. Percival grinned, seeing the sun begin to set slightly. He had always been inside for at least part of a sunset, but today, he decided to savor the full thing with his beloved Pokemon.

As the headed forward, he had a slight chuckle to himself, almost as if that trip had been a comforting fairwell to the city. He had said his goodbyes again to his parents, almost solidifying their consent and approval to his journey. And now, he began his trek through Galfenol Forest, as he plodded on towards Galfenol Town, its Gym, and his goal for the next 2 years of his life.

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 7

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 9

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Huge thank you, as usual! As you can probably tell by now, this won't be a play-by-play of the story, instead covering moments that are interesting or reveal the characters.


	4. Forest Four the Trees

Galfenol Forest was far denser than Percival had planned for. The pathway was old and dilapidated, a rough dirt road in the middle of thick shades of green, and foliage that threatened to choke the very idea of open space out of existence. Vines, branches, roots, and brambles encroached upon that path, that last bastion of civilization in all this wilderness. And neither Percival nor his Pokemon were at ease. They had already faced many hungry wild Pokemon, from a flock of Pidgey to a herd of Poochyena. Meals were hard to come by for some of the smaller Pokemon, who had to fear the tougher Pokemon hidden all throughout the forest. However, trainers were easy pickings. Not only were they nice and weak, and full of meat, but they had the chance to catch these Pokemon, effectively giving them an easy home. The veteran trainers also took out and captured many of the stronger Pokemon, but that was not of concern in the case of a newbie like Percival.

The intrepid introvert and his Pokemon kept up their trek through the woods, as Percival began feeling blisters form on parts of his feet. Charles was not having a great time, but was motivated onward due to a want to protect his trainer and, more importantly, fond memories of how he had bonded with the boy in these very woods. When Percival was playing with him, they had dumbled down a hill, into the thickest parts of the woods. For a full day, they worked together to survive and protect each other, as Percival helped heal Charles from a broken bone, and Charles fended off a flock of Spearow until help arrived. They were now inseparable, although Charles feared that bond would sever as Percival was forced to form connections with more and more Pokemon. The poodle convinced himself that he would be happy for his trainer as that happened, but he could not help but already feel a twang of preemptive jealousy.

After a while, Percival stopped the group, glancing around, but more importantly, focusing on his ears. After listening for a good, solid minute, he realized that the woods had become empty and noiseless. It was eerie. When there was such a clearing, there were typically wild Pokemon to greet any adventurers. However, not here. Only four odd looking trees, smack-dap in the center of the road. Percival, curious, hovered his Pokedex over them, asking for it to analyze them to see if there was anything hiding in them.

"Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokemon. To avoid attack, it mimics a tree. It will run off if splashed with water, which it hates." Bingo. A strategy, an explanation, and a clear demonstration that Percival's team could not hold up to this Pokemon. These were Rock types, and he knew his moves would be resisted by them. And thus, it would be about misdirection.

The Sudowoodo, for their part, knew they had been made. One instantly sprinted away, perhaps the Omega of the pack. The others formed up, begin to quickly encircle Percival and his Pokemon, and each hurling a Rock Throw at Percival and his team. Thinking quickly, Percival ordered Fluffles to use Bide, and then held up the Pokemon, allowing it to take all the rocks. It resisted them due to its Fighting-Type, managing to take the shots. However, it was immediately clear to the trainer how powerful these Sudowoodo were compared to his Pokemon, as Fluffles already looked ready to faint in one more move. Charles stepped in, giving a cute wink to each of the Sudowoodo by using Baby-Doll Eyes. Enamored, the Sudowoodo began to cluster around the Furfrou, giving Percival the time he needed to pull out his canteen and cup a bit of water in his hand, as some spilled out. He had rationed himself and his Pokemon far more than enough, and thus, he had plenty to spare in situations such as these. However, by now, the Sudowoodo were done being enamored, especially as Stufful sprung at them, about ready to release its Bide. The Sudowoodo acted quickly, firing Rock Throws at Stufful, sending it flying and knocking it out. "Fluffles!" Percival shouted, as the Sudowoodo turned towards him, preparing another Rock Throw.

As he began to ran away, he tripped, and the water splashed into the air, luckily towards the Sudowoodo. And then it all went into slow motion. The Rock Throws were launched just as water hit the Sudowoodo, hurtling towards Percival, as Charles leaped in front, getting struck by all three and flying back. As he stood up, he seemed fine, nodding. While he didn't resist the attack, as a fully-evolved Pokemon, he was stronger than Fluffles, and his ability Fur Coat helped mitigate some of the damage. The Sudowoodo, however, had no way to protect themselves against the water, immediately panicking in an exaggerated, comical fashion, as they scrambled over each other just to escape from the water-thrower. As the ran off, dashing to the comforts and safety of whatever grove they called their home, Percival checked up on Fluffles, making sure the Pokemon was okay before recalling him to his Pokeball.

As night of their second day of the forest soon approached, Percival and Charles made it to a small hill, relatively unblocked by trees, and looked up at the stars, Percival petting the dog Pokemon. "Do you remember when we first met? It was the same kind of sky that night. All the memories. You kept that stick cast on for days after, until dad finally convinced you to wear something better." He rubbed the Furfrou's head, as he kept looking up. "I don't know why, but something about me kind of clicks here. I don't like the whole nature part, but it's nice not having people around, you know? They're always in your face about things, demanding something. Not you guys. I kind of wish we could always spend our nights in these forests, if it wasn't so dangerous. I guess civilization has its perks."

Charles began to rub up against Percival, settling down and laying on its stomach, preparing to sleep. "I guess you're not really much of a nocturnal one, are you. But that one night, you stayed up the whole time, watching over me. You know, something tells me you saved my life dozens of times that one night, and we don't even know it. But anyways, you need some sleep, and so do I. See you tomorrow morning." As the Furfrou fell asleep, Percival quickly set up the makeshift tripwires and alarms he had brought with him, before falling asleep on the soft fuzz of his beloved Pokemon's pompous fur.

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide, Brutal Swing; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 15

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 15

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Again, a huge thank you for staying on board! We're getting close to Percival's first gym battle, and I intend to make it thoroughly entertaining, but also hyped up.


	5. Going Galfenol

Percival heaved a sigh of relief as he approached a smull, rugged town at the edge of Galfenol Forest. It was Galfenol Town, where his first Gym Battle could be found, alongside time to rest, which he was certainly in desperate need of. As he entered the quaint town, a rustic breeze swept over him, as the scent of mist and aging wood struck him, interweaving to form a narrative of age, stuggle, and yet an underlying beauty in that struggle. As he, Charles, and the recovered Fluffles approached the town, they immediately spooted a PokeCenter in which to spend the night and heal up any lingering injuries.

As Percival headed inside, handing his Pokemon to Nurse Joy and her Chansey to have them healed, a slightly older trainer looked at him. "Are you a greenhorn trainer?" Percival, a bit startled, stumbled back slightly, before nodding his head in response. "Well, you probably got a tad of experience getting here, but I doubt you'll last long against the Gym Leader. He's a tough one, to say the least. Wiped the floor with me."

Percival slightly muttered out the response, "But Gym Leaders scale their Pokemon to the number of badges the challenger has, so I might be facing a weaker team. Although, they do scale, so I can't rely on that assumption. Any tips?" The other trainer snorted, shaking his head before collecting his Pokemon. "I would if I could, but the best I can say is to prepare for the unprepared."

Percival immediately shot that advice down mentally, and nodded to himself. He needed a strategy to defeat this gym, one so impecable the Gym Leader couldn't stomp him. Granted, due to using mostly Normal Types, Percival did have a slight edge when it came to planning, as he didn't have to work around any opposing types, but Fluffles's Fighting Type might bite him in a Bug Gym, as he had been told this Gym was.

Before that, however, he had plenty of time. Why take on the Gym instantly when he could instead spend at least a day relaxing in the town. He needed to get to know the place before he could simply fight his first Gym Battle. And thus, he waited for his Pokemon, calling them out of their Pokeballs before heading to enjoy the town.

He wandered the unpaved streets, allowing the thick grass blades to attempt a strike at his arms and legs, searching for a place to go. Almost immediately, he found a charming little coffee shop, and dipped inside, looking for the owner, and immediately bumping into her. The petite young woman ushered him out, before immediately slamming the door behind him and putting up a "CLOSED" sign. That didn't work out as he had expected it to.

It turned out that almost all the shops were closing at this time, much to Percival's surprise. As the shopkeepers began to walk out, forming a long line, Percival realized why: it was the Procession of Celebi, which he thought had happened a while back. Which meant...he had spent far too much time in the forest. At this rate, he was never going to hit every Gym. Did that make his journey pointless? Was he never going to make it? Quickly, he darted back into the Pokemon Center, taking out his map.

While the rest of the town walked through the forest, and strode towards the shrine for a spiritual moment of enlightenment, Percival was busy scribbling away on his map and recalculating everything. Recalibrating his whole journey in the span of eight hours, Percival felt re-invigorated, like he could still possibly do this if he lost no more time. And he couldn't. He had to touch down at every possible Gym location, even if that meant skipping more towns. It was important to get to the objective first and small stuff later. So much for spending the full day relaxing. He needed to find the library.

And thus, quickly, he darted back out, and dashed towards the large oak building planted firmly in the middle of the town square. The town library, a treasure of information about nearby Pokemon that was kept in surprisingly good condition and quality for such a small town. As Percival approached, he saw that it, too, was CLOSED. He panicked, not sure when the people would get back, and as he got ready to turn back to the Pokemon Center and skip this town for now, charting his journey yet again, he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder.

A tall, yet thin man had tapped him on the shoulder, wearing thick-rimmed glasses that accentuated his odd frame. Wearing green robes, the likes of which only a librarian would be ridiculous enough to wear in public, the man put down the hood on his cloak-like clothing, which was clearly some form of formal attire, as it hardly covered his dark hair at all. "You know, it doesn't do you any good to skip out on all the fun stuff in your journey. Are you here for researching the Gym Battle?"

Percival's eyes widened at this man's comment. How did he know. "A lot of the 'strategic' types do that. Myself, I love to study bugs. Although not Lepidopterae. Anyway, I'm sure that's enough that you can tell I'm the Gym Leader. Name's Millard. You?" After introducing himself, Percival, rather startled, went in, Millard following. "By the way, Percy, I'm going on a trip soon, so today's the last day my Gym will be open. Best get studying."

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide, Brutal Swing; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 19

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 20

AUTHOR'S NOTE - So, when it comes to Gym Leaders, I want them to teach lessons to the trainers they battle, not just be a tough fight. Next chapter is the last one before the battle, and I really want to lock in that lesson. It's not just what's inside your brain that matters, but also what is inside your heart.


	6. Inspect the Insect

The stakes were as high as they could get for a research trip as Percival stepped into the library in a half-run, half-speedwalk, just barely skirting the "don't run" rule posted at the front of the library. Staying quiet would be easy, as the only thing more dead silent than the library at this moment was its one current customer. Percival had to focus too much, he couldn't afford to chit-chat. Calling his Pokemon back into their Pokeballs, he immediately went to research everything he could about the local Gym Leader, and found, to his surprise, battle logs of some of the battles that Millard had. Millard, for his part, retorted to Percival. "You know, I kind of regretted making those, so I stopped a while back. It turned battling into this science you had to always plan ten days in advance for. It killed all the fun of the battles. Nowadays, you come in, and are surprised. Heck, I even changed my battle plan entirely, so don't bother with those."

Percival heaved a sigh of defeat, looking for any other information he could, and, with permission from Millard, calling out his Pokemon to help him. Of course, Millard wasn't too happy with a Stufful in his library, but Percival promised to keep Fluffles on his shoulder, so Millard accepted it. With Charles still on searching duty, doing his best to track down the books that were covered with all sorts of recent and different scents, Percival began to jot down notes in his Gym notepad, covering as much as he could from the batte logs. While he couldn't use them for a strategy, he could at least determine one strategy Millard definitely wasn't using. Besides, it was likely this was a bluff from Millard to deter trainers from simply pre-planning their whole battle. Reasonable enough.

"Percy, can I level with you? Going to that Celebi procession would have told you far more about me than any old book. But, let me guess again, you were too busy recharting your journey, weren't you? Well, makes sense. That's the Galfenol way. The forest just chokes up all the trainers too focused on where they're going to see where they are. Enjoy your journey, don't write a thesis paper on me."

Percival nodded, but didn't really take the advice at heart. It worked for some trainers, but he wasn't capable enough without a plan to just make it up on the fly. He had to be prepared for his battles. And Millard's little monologues were giving him all the clues he needed. The battle was clearly going to have some plan about being aware of your surroundings, but how would that translate? Environmental damage? Traps? Grass Knot? It was too loose a thread to cling to. He needed something more defined than that if he was going to pull a win out of his first battle, and he had no clue how he was going to find it. Unless he pried into Millard, but, that would be too obvious, too invasive. No, he'd find out from some information on Millard. That had to be in the library.

His assumption was confirmed as Charles brought back stash after stash of books. Each pile was from a different row, and, while most of it was purely random, there was definitely enough information on nearby bug Pokemon and the bug Gym Leader himself to formulate a plan.

He soon learned a great deal about the middle-aged Gym Leader. Apparently, he, like the rest of his family, was a Celebi shrinekeeper, who found his first Bug Pokemon while tending the shrine. He had a natural synchronization with Bug types, among other tidbits, and used his battles as a way of spiritually growing more in tune with his Pokemon, and urged his opponent to do the same. Giving Charles and Fluffles pats on the head, Percival began to jot down notes. "Well, your bond with your Pokemon is very close. I can appreciate that. If only you had that level of affection for the world around you." Percival safely added "hippie" to the list of descriptors on the Gym Leader.

"You know, Percy, I'm heading to my Gym now. I'll be taking new challengers if they come within the next 30 minutes, but otherwise, I'm going to close it down tonight and not open it up again for about...2 weeks? Yeah, that sounds fun. 2 weeks of books and camping. Hope to see you there!" Percival knew he meant the Gym, but could also have meant the camping. Clever. Almost as clever as the battle plan Percival was now ruminating in his head as he finished up his research, resorted the books, and began to walk to the Gym, the evening about to replace the afternoon.

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Leer, Bide, Brutal Swing; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 19

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 20

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Next time is the Gym battle! I hope we've got enough of an emotional angle to the fight to keep it compelling on all fronts. Thanks for hanging on! Also...I think it's an accidental pattern that every third chapter is going to be half-length.


	7. Abuzz Over a Gym Battle

It was an important moment for both battlers as Percival stepped onto the field, noting the environment of the battle. Forests shrouded the field, leaving many places to hide and climb. Millard wouldn't need Lepidopterae to get an aerial advantage, so long as his bugs were fast. But Percival wasn't going to make it easy, not by a longshot.

"So, Percy, you managed to make it in time. Got all the research you wanted? I doubt it, but best of luck anyways. You're about to get a lesson in perception." Percival responded in a cool, confidant manner, now that he had a plan. "And you're going to get a lesson in deception." Millard smiled, surprised at how much more confidant Percy was on the battlefield. "It'll be a 2-on-2 battle. Substitutions are allowed, but items are not. It will end when both of a trainer's Pokemon have fainted. You will send out first, and then I will. In exchange, you may have the first move."

Percival called for Fluffles, as Millard whispered into a Pokeball, tossing out a floating, undead cicada. Shedinja. "A smart guy like you probably knows how Shedinja works, right? Well, this little guy can completely stomp any team that isn't prepared with a solution to Bug types, and your team didn't seem to be. Your call."

"Fluffles, start with a Bide. It won't be able to hit him, but remember: that isn't our goal." Millard smiled. "As you also know, while attacks that aren't super-effective won't hit Shedinja, one good move and he'll faint." Percival nodded in agreement, slightly peeved that Millard was simply letting the Bide fade out as much as possible, stalling it. "Now, Fluffles, start climbing the nearest tree!"

Millard's eye seemed to dilate slightly, as he pointed towards the tree next to Fluffles. "Hone Claws, now to that tree!" As Shedinja sharpened its claws, it encircled that tree, going in and out of range of Fluffles, who could barely contain his Bide by this point.

"Finish it in one move, Void. Aerial Ace." A super-effective attack, to be sure, as it slammed into Fluffles, sending him hurtling to the floor in front of the tree. Percival gasped, but Fluffles nodded and got up. "That would have taken him out in one hit, but Fluffly helped. Aerial Ace does make contact, which allowed Fluffles to soften the blow. But still good thinking, leaving to one move. Now it's my turn. Release Bide on the tree!"

As Fluffles slammed into the tree while covered in bright light, its trunk splintered and it was sent hurtling into the tree next to it, knocking that one down along with a few others, leaving a mess of ramps and obstacles for Fluffles to climb, but, more importantly, forcing Shedninja to dodge forward, giving enough momentum for "Brutal Swing, Fluffles!"

A dark energy surrounded Fluffles' paw as he swiped in the air in front of him, just barely clipping the Shedinja. "Void!" The Shedinja had fainted, as Millard nodded in approval. "Good work, but now it's time you get that lesson. Come on out, Distill!" A massive hercules beetle flew out of its Pokeball. "My Heracross is an expert in field control. Just watch."

"Fluffles, Tackle!" The pink bear hurtled as fast as it could at Heracross. "Not switching out? Makes sense. Get in the last bits of chip damage before you're done. Distill, Megahorn!" A powerful energy surged in the horn of the Heracross as it charged directly into Fluffles, sending the poor bear flying, as the Heracross approached. "Finish with Brick Break!" A karate chop slammed into Stufful, leaving it unconscious at the feet of its trainer.

"You did great, Fluffles. I couldn't have done it without you. Charles, you're up next. I need you to start with a Sand Attack!" The poodle Pokemon hurled a spray of sand in the direction of its horned opponent, hoping to blind the Heracross. "Good move, preventing me from hitting. Especially with Megahorn already being hard to aim. However, it won't be enough. Feint!" A move that never missed, Feint instantly struck Charles before he could even understand where it was coming from.

"So far, not anything field-like, you may be thinking, Percy. But I think you're about to see what I mean." As Charles attempted to get up, he fell back to the ground. Looking at his Pokemon, Percival just stiffled an audible gasp. Charles had been caught in a root. "See, when I let you use Bide, knowing it was the only way for you to get clear access to Shedinja. The trees were at least partially uprooted, giving us the exact situation we needed. Granted, Furfrou can take a lot of damage, but even it can't take this: Focus Punch.

Percival began to almost hyperventilate as the Heracross approached his Furfrou, charging up a glowing brick-hued energy within its fist. While Focus Punch took a long time to charge, it could be stopped by attacking the user. But with Charles trapped, he couldn't do anything to intercept it. The move was an instant knock-out, and Percival was helpless to stop it. "This is what happens when you're only looking at what's in tomorrow. You never think about how you impact the world you're in today. Well, it was a pleasure, Percival, but there's no chance you're getting out of here." As Heracross began to finish up charging its Focus Punch, it let Percival have a moment, just to let the lesson sink in.

Percival's eyes widened, as he barely even heard what Millard said. He had been given the split second he needed to think, just, think of something. And then he realized it. "But maybe I understand it better than you think. Headbutt on the underside of the roots!" As the Focus Punch charged in, the Furfrou slammed its head on the bottom part of the roots, leaving an audible ripping noise as, all of a sudden, trees began collapsing all around the battlefield, their roots upturned by the force. The exertion alone was causing physical damage to Charles, and that showed in the damage that the falling trees did, as Heracross was crushed underneath one before its attack could connect. With both fighters trapped, it was a draw.

"You know, Percy, since its a draw, I decide who wins. In this case, I'm naming you the winner. Your planned worked, and you learned about the value of the present. I bestow upon you the Net Badge." The green badge, adorned with a spider's web tying together a number of different kinds of trees, fit snugly in Percival's badge pocket of his bag. "Thank you very much, Millard. Anyway, I need to get going. It was a pleasure meeting and battling you." As he went out, just stopping on his way out to heal his Pokemon, Millard gave a sigh. "They never learn it fully, do they?"

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Flail, Bide, Brutal Swing; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 21

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Bite, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 22

AUTHOR'S NOTE - I hope that was exhilarating enough for all the build-up. We're getting into the thick of it now. Next time, I introduce more characters!


	8. Kyla's Courage

As Percival continued from the path, he reached down and patted his beloved Pokemon on the back. Already with their first badge in tow, he was excited to see where his journey took him, as he entered into the Crystalline Caverns, a jewel-shrouded cave known for housing thousands of electrically-charged crystals, and allowing certain Pokemon to evolve. As he wandered, he wondered what awaited him, as he trekked intrepidly through the dark, yet bright cavern, in an eerily silent manner.

That was, until he heard a concussive shout, and was knocked to the ground as the crystals around him splintered and shattered in an almost majestic yet disturbingly loud manner. The noise was deafening, and as he stumbled back to his feet he glanced around, spotting what seemed to be the culprit. Calling on Fluffles, he leaped at the target, managing to grab it by what seemed to be an exhaust pipe, as Fluffles did the same. Working together, they started pulling on it, trying to expose it to the light. As they did, another blast emitted from it, and while they heard the full force, only the feedback went through the exhaust ports, sending them tumbling away. However, they spotted an electrical orb of energy strike the Pokemon they were just clinging to, illuminating it: an Exploud, a sort of living boombox Pokemon that was incredibly powerful. The potent waves of energy surged again, as the Exploud aimed up, shattering the crystals far above it, illuminating the whole battlefield.

Amid the debris was an electrical, yellow spider: a Galvantula, which retaliated by wrapping its electrical webbing around the normal-type powerhouse. However, more importantly, there was a girl, slightly older than Percival, adorned in a red cap and matching red hoodie, along with khaki pants. The glittering electrical bits contrasted perfectly with her black hair and pale skin, her thin features and pale hazel eyes intensely glaring at her opponent, as she ordered her Exploud. "Now, Boomer, use Boomburst! Finish it off!" The webbing, although caught around the Exploud, was not enough to eliminate it, as Boomer blasted the Galvantula into the back wall, knocking it out.

Percival ran up to the girl, beaten and bruised, but impressed by her confidence despite the proximity of the battle to her. "Congratulations, ma'am! You were really brave in that battle." The girl smiled down at Percival, brushing away a bang of hair that threatened to cover her left eye. "Thanks. It was nothing. Boomer and I do that all the time. It's what I like to call 'adrenaleveling'. My name's Kyla. What's yours?" Percival, a little concerned with the implications of the name 'adrenaleveling', responded with both an answer and a question. "I'm Percival, a rookie trainer not exactly from around here, and I doubt you are either. What's this 'adrenaleveling' thing?"

Kyla smirked slightly, in a playful and slightly condescending manner. "Oh, adrenaleveling basically intensifies the danger of a fight, so you and your Pokemon have to fight harder and focus more. It really helps finish battles quickly to mitigate danger, and gives your Pokemon an excuse to go all out. How do you train?" Percival basically just responded, "The...usual way. I know that's rude, but I don't think what you're doing is safe." Kyla nodded in agreement, explaining, "It's very dangerous, but that's what I like about it. Our journies are all about the thrills, don't you think? And a safe little Gym Battle rarely gives that same rush. By the way, I have one badge. How about you?"

The two compared badges, both having received them from the same Gym Leader. Apparently, Kyla had fought him a few days earlier, and was just training in this cave, where her Loudred evolved into the Exploud that loomed above them as they spoke. Her fight was equally hard to Percival's, although she just brute-forced through it, managing to just scrape out a win. Percival remembered that, to some degree, Kyla really was living the lesson he had supposedly learned from that battle, which was something he just... wasn't ready to do. Either way, he realized it was time for a formality.

"Wait, shouldn't we be battling? It's really the only way for trainers to greet each other." Kyra nodded, surprised that someone who appeared so meek in their brief conversation beforehand would take the words out of her mouth. "One Pokemon each, although I do have two," she mused, as she called for Boomer, who by now had recovered from his previous battle, to enter into the fight.

"Fluffles, come on in!" The plushie Pokemon rushed in, ready to battle. "Boomer, start with Boomburst!" Another massive wave of sound rippled over Fluffles, as Percival managed to sneak in a "Bide" before the wave of sound drowned him out. If she kept firing off those Boombursts, everyone was likely to lose their eardrums soon, but, more importantly, she could drown out some of Percival's more complex strategies. And that was a problem he would need to find a work around to. Preferably one that would occur on accident, so he could best her while utilizing Fluffles' prone status to said accidents.

For now, however, he was content to watch his Pokemon suck in the forceful power of the attack, realizing that one or two more, maybe a few, really, and he was going to be the loser of the battle before he even had a chance to strike. "Fire it off again!" Percival managed to quickly fire off a "Dodge to the left!", as Fluffles managed to duck away, but was still caught up in the full power of the blast, and sent hurtling backward, leaving a dent in the wall. "Hold your ground for a bit longer, Fluffles!" Exploud took a small breather, and Kyla, noticing the exhaustion of its vocals, immediately called out, "Keep up the pressure, don't stop attacking. Rock Smash!"

The fist collided with Fluffles, beginning to heavily crack the wall behind the pink bear. One more solid hit, and Fluffles was going to go down. Luckily, Kyla's brash offensive had given Fluffles the window he needed, as, had she spaced out Boomburst more, it was likely Fluffles would have went out easily. But the troubles weren't over yet, as a final Boomburst echoed directly down on Fluffles, as he released his Bide. The white light and white noise collided, creating a powerful explosion of waves of the most powerful natural forces in the universe, aside from perhaps Space or Time. With the forceful, potent echoes from the explosion, the wall began to erode, chip, and break. The blast had sent both Pokemon back slightly, but since Exploud had aimed down, while Fluffles aimed up, Exploud was sent up, over Fluffles, who braced himself as a wall of rock began crashing down in tiny, electrical and non-electrical shards, sharply puncturing into the floor and bombarding the Exploud, who tumbled to the ground, but not before fainting from all the wall's impact.

Unfortunately, before Percival could celebrate his victory, he realized where Exploud had landed. Ouch. Fluffles had fallen unconscious from the impact the Exploud made as it landed on top of the poor little bear. Nodding calmly, and stooping down to congratulate Fluffles, he made sure both Pokemon were okay before uttering words of praise and recalling his Pokemon, only for Kyla to recall hers and utter the same words. "Thanks for checking up on both of them for me, Pers. I think that was a good battle, if I do say so myself. What would you say?"

"I mean, um, I think it was good, but, not exactly the best for the area around us, if you know what I mean." Kyra looked at him, rather puzzled. "I'm confused. We've been chipping away at these rocks for a while. What's the problem." Percival grimaced. "They are." A horde of red, white, purple, and yellow eyes glared at them from the dark. They were in trouble, to say the least.


	9. Of Dragons and Dust

Kyra took off sprinting, grabbing Percival by the collar as she ran off, hoping to save them both, before he could even react. Stammering, he had to ask, "Kyra...where are we going?" As the girl skidded to a stop, the boy she was dragging behind her collided into her, knocking her over, as a blast of energy blew over their heads. As more barrages of beams fired, the duo scrambled away, recalling their Pokemon, who up until then had been staying close enough, but clearly would get lost at the rate that things were escalating. With Kyra in the lead, and Percival, amped on adrenaline, only a few paces behind, they knew they couldn't outrun their pursuers with ease.

Sighing, Percival nodded to one of his Pokeballs, sending out Fluffles. "We're going to need to play in your ballpark and not mine, okay? I need you to create enough damage to give us a breather!" Saying this, he tossed Fluffles up to a massive stalagmite ahead of them, and let the little bear swing on the stone spikes in the cieling, creating a storm of sharp rock objects around them. Kyra, thinking quick and catching on even quicker, called out one of her own Pokemon, the electrical canine Manetric. "Discharge, go!" As Manetric launched lightning out from it on all sides, demolishing any rock that came near, Percival and Kyra hugged the edges of the circular barrier they had now created using stalagmites and electricity.

"Okay, come back in Fluffles. We need to discuss a plan." Kyra nodded solemnly, withdrawing her Manetric. "So...plans aren't my strongsuit, at least not in this manner. But if I have a foe, and know what they can do, I can think pretty quick on my feet. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to what we were running from, but since I was dragging you backwards, you got a good view, right?" Percival agreed, rubbing his neck slightly where his collar had chafed and choked him, if only slightly. Kyra was surprisingly gentle in her desperate escape attempt. "Well, they did stay in the shadows a lot, bu-" "So you're saying we don't know?" "No, as I was saying, while they did stay in the shadows, I did manage to catch a glimpse of at least 3 of the Pokemon we're going up against it." "Spit it out?" "Galvantula. A horde of them, bitter about your knockout of their friend, since that could have got it killed if any predators were lingering around. However, while there were a lot of those, I'm more concerned with the amount of Bergmite, which, being the little icebergs that they are, have no business in a cave like this. I also spotted a lot of Helioptile. Two electric types, banding together. Makes snese, at least to me."

Kyra nodded, before sending out a third Pokemon, which she clearly had not trained as much as the others. A new addition, likely, the little pink cat glanced up with glimmering, curious eyes at its trainer. "Purrmeister, I know we only met a few days ago, and you're not much of a battler, yet, but we need your help. Purrmeister can lure them into one place, if you've got a way to hit them all." "I don't...but you do. Can I use Boomer for this?" "Well, if it's our best means of survival, why not?"

And thus, the plan was set into motion, as a concussive blast of sound issued out of the Exploud, blowing open a singular funnel in the stalagmite defense through which the hostile Pokemon could enter. Galvantula immediately shot their sticky electric thread through, as they began to grapple in and clamber on the walls, surrounding the two trainers with amazing speed. As the Galvantula, followed by the Helioptile, filled up the space, Bergmites entered, slowly freezing the ground as they went, even further limiting the options of their human foes. And yet, Percival signaled for Kyra to wait, much to her annoyance. "I may be peppy, but I can wait a bit, Perz." "Perz? Why can no one just call me Percival? Is it really that hard?" "It would be easier if you could stammer it out a bit more often."

And then, as Kyra nodded to Purrmeister, giving the signal...a massive blast echoed through the barrier, breaking new holes in the stone defense. And a fourth wave of Pokemon entered. Axew. The grey little dragons managed to sneak their tusks within the cracks their attacks had made, as they added to the onslaught. Percival stammered slightly. "Um...Kyra?" "What?" "Our plan may or may not be messed up totally." "What do you mean?" "I didn't think they had a Pokemon with the ability to blast through stone!" "Great, we'll improvise! Purrmeister, now or never, use Captivate!" As all the wild Pokemon flocked together, lurred by the pure cute power of the Skitty, Percival sighed, and nodded to Boomer, issuing a Boomburst. As the powerful move ripped through the wild Pokemon, funneling slightly up, it revurberated, and a second blast echoed throughout the chamber, when, suddenly, a potent barrage of flames ripped through the room, blazing down half the Pokemon.

Percival gave a confused look to Kyra, who only shrugged back, as all the Pokemon snapped out of their captivated state. "That was supposed to last longer, right Kyra?" "Yeah, but that flame took out Purrmeister!" "Drat, the echo hasn't sounded enough times!" "Just try it already!" "Okay, Boomer, Echoed Voice!" Playing off the echoes already sounding throughout the slightly broken barrier, Boomer began to power up a move that, while weak on its own, amplified in the presence of other noise. Blasting through as many Pokemon as he could, the Exploud wiped a clean row of Helioptile off the playing field, and began working towards the Axew, when a sudden blast struck the Exploud, knocking him unconscious. The Axew and other remaining Pokemon advanced.

With their options now limited, Percival grunted a little as he sent out both Fluffles and Charles. "Both of you, take out the Axew first! They do the most damage!" Kyra nodded, calling out her Manetric again. "Bolt! Use Flash to blind all our enemies!" The three Pokemon set to work, as a bright light engulfed the room, emanating from the Manetric. Seizing the chance, Fluffles and Charles launched themselves into the fray, swinging and biting wildly, until, as the bright light cleared, and Percival looked into the field of combat...his Pokemon lay unconscious. In another array of draconic blasts, Bolt went unconscious. They were out of Pokemon.

Kyra, startled, reached into her bag, trying to grab something, but it snagged. "Dang it! Something's off with my bag right now! Percival, catch one of them!" Percival, although unsure of the benefits of catching a Pokemon that would clearly not obey his orders at the moment, instinctively agreed, reaching for one of his Poke Balls. Flicking his wrist in a clean, practiced swish, he sent the projectile at one of the Axew, as the little red sphere blinked, flashed, and sounded. The Axew was caught, and now a member of Percival's party, albeit an unwilling one at the moment. Almost more furious now than ever, the other Axew readied a final blast, to tear Percival and Kyra off the face of the earth, when a gout of flame struck them as well.

As Percival and Kyra glanced around to see who was both their savior and their saboteur, they heard a shaking from the ceiling, as a massive piece of rock hurtled their way. Both ducked out of the way, but the rock was still above them. As Percival and Kyra went into panic mode, scrambling despite the fear their bodies were in, another flame struck the rock, blasting it to bits. Startled from the events of the day, and thoroughly exhausted, Percival collasped on the cavern floor, hoping that the mystery flame-user was truly a friend and not simply a taunting foe.

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Stufful) - Moves: Tackle, Brutal Swing, Bide, Payback; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 26

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Bite, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 26

Unamed (Axew) - Moves: Dual Chop, Dragon Rage, Assurance, Scratch; Ability: Mold Breaker; Level: 25

AUTHOR'S NOTE - I hope Kyra left a good first impression! As you can see, we're basically working backwards on the generations with Percival's Pokemon, so expect a Gen 4 Pokemon next! This was a 3rd chapter that wasn't shorter, although with the long wait, it just wouldn't be right to give a mini chapter.


	10. Suns of Anarchy

"Do you think he got a heart attack and died from the stress?" "No, he seemed way more capable than that. Wait...he seems to be waking up!" Percival, startled, jolted upwards, waking up in a panic. Although his vision was blurred, he could make out Kyra, along with someone else. As his vision began to clear more, he noticed the kid, slightly older than himself, had a Larvesta on his shoulder. With bright red hair, and a jacket imprinted with brilliant flames, the kid clearly had a bit of a motif going on. "Hi there, Perz. Strange name, but who am I to judge? My name's Orion."

"Sol here is responsible for all the flames from earlier. He's a helper at heart, although you may not know it from his appearance." The Larvesta clambered up the arm of its trainer as it was extended, the white fuzz around its head jiggling and bouncing. "There's something about the white fur, black face, red bits sticking out. You know, it's just a pretty aesthetic." Percival nodded, although he didn't really see it.

"Yeah, I know, it's kinda weird of me to think that. But beauty comes only in the acceptance of difference, not in the denial of it. There is no perfect, as everything is perfect in a different way, for a different reason. I hope you do agree with me." Percival shrugged, stating, "Well, there is a perfect, but it's impossible to achieve. There is always an imperfection in anything, really." "But can an imperfection be perfect at being an imperfection?" "No...?" "Then an imperfect imperfection...interesting."

"Speaking of imperfect imperfections, I think Kyra seems to be heading out." Percival watched as Kyra, almost out of view, waved to him in farewell, and held up her phone, pointing towards it. Clearly she had got his number while he slept, probably using his own finger to unlock the phone. He waved back, slightly unnerved at how willing she was to do that. He supposed she was just busy, and had to get back to training or travelling.

"So, Perz, if that's actually your name, I guess we might as well battle, since our eyes did meet." "It's Percival, by the way. I guess I never did extend a proper welcome. A pleasure to meet you. And by a pleasure, I also mean a battle." "That was not witty at all." "Did you have something better?"

"No, but Sol does. Now send out your Pokemon!" "Alright, come on out, Charles." The poodle Pokemon and the torchbug Pokemon stared each other down, ready to attack."Sol, Flamethrower!"

As Percival commanded for his Pokemon to dodge, Orion continued to press the attack, as flames spewed from the Larvesta at its canine opponent. "Now, Charles, let's get in a move: Headbutt!" Furfrou slammed his head into the Larvesta as fast as possible, sending the little bug flying, as it used its flames to shoot further away, rocketing away. Finally, a burst of flame emitting from its mouth struck the Furfrou, as the fiery blast sent the dog careening away. Grinning, Orion called for a String Shot, as Sol spewed web-like strands of silk from itself, catching and entangling Charles in midair. "Use Bite to cut the strings!" As Charles set to work biting up the strings, Sol was commanded to keep blasting at Charles with Flamethrower. "Okay, Sol, let's finish him off before he can escape: Flame Charge!"

Surrounding himself in flame, Sol hurtled along the last remaining string, which, just as it as cut, caught flame, giving Sol the cover he needed to slam into Charles, sending him hurtling backward, leaving the Furfrou barely standing. "While sure, Flamethrower may have been better in the short run, in the long run, the speed boost granted by Flame Charge will pay off, especially after we use another!" "Headbutt, Charles!"

The two Pokemon collided into each other, as Furfrou fell to the ground unconscious, with the Larvesta looking at its opponent with a jittery, giddy sense of both worry and excitement. As Percival recalled the poodle Pokemon, he asked, "2v2?" Orion nodded, taking the challenge, as Fluffles came out of his Pokeball.

Sol came in with another Flame Charge, as Percival shouted, "Tackle!" With a slam, Sol sent back Fluffles, who used the momentum to leap off one of the nearby stalagmites and slam into the Larvesta as retaliation. "Flamethrower!" "Dodge it!" Percival knew that Fluffles was at a disadvantage against a fire-type Pokemon, due to his ability, Fluffy, making his fur ultra-vulnerable to flame. As Percival glanced around, looking for a way to change the tide, he saw some of the stones igniting from the flame. "Pretty, isn't it, Percival. The red works so beautifully with the blues and yellows of the caves, right. Well, it was neat, but let's end this quickly. Flamethrower." As Larvesta continued to pelt at Fluffles with fire, the little bear scrambling to escape, Percival knew they couldn't keep running, with the Larvesta always zipping to wherever Fluffles was hiding, using its boosted speed to its advantage.

"Brutal Swing on the Stalagmites!" As Fluffles swung upwards, breaking off little bits and pieces of many of the stalagmites, he was struck by another Flame Charge, and sent flying. However, the plan had worked. Percival grinned, nodding at Fluffles, before shouting: "Payback!" As Fluffles aimed to strike the Larvesta, invigorated by the force of the blow struck against it, the Larvesta tried to leap away, only to trip on all the bits of rock, falling victim to the blow. As it hurtled back, Fluffles pounced, slamming into it with another Tackle, knocking it out.

"Well done, Percy. I think you would have stood a chance of victory if this was a 3v3. But it isn't. Come on out, Apollo!" An Espeon emerged from the Poke Ball he held in his hand. The pink feline Pokemon glared at its opponent, the red ruby in between its farseeing eyes glowing with power. "As a Psychic type, Apollo has the upper hand against Stufful, since Psychic moves are good against Figthing types. And believe me, it won't take us two shots to win, so no using Payback."

Percival nodded, grimly, as he prepared for the loss. "Fluffles...try to take it. We won't get to the Espeon fast enough, so we're going to need to go for endurance." The speedy Psychic-type closed its eyes, as its trainer shouted: "Confusion!" A Psychic wave seemed to surround Fluffles, sending him into a mental space that confused and blurred his mind, weakening his will as he slowly began collapsing. "Come on, Fluffles. Don't let it get to you! You're too cute for this!" And indeed he was, as the little bear began to glow blue.

"Wait a minute...is that what I think it is?" Percival nodded in response, grinning. "If I had known calling him cute would give him that extra boost he needed to evolve, I would have done it before the battle. Maybe the Confusion could have taken out the Stufful, but in his new Bewear form, I doubt it." As Fluffles emerged from the glowing blue light, he was in a new form. Still pink, he now stood upright, far bigger and more powerful than before, grinning at his new ability to give power hugs. And thus, he decided to start with a hug for the nice Espeon that had helped him evolve. Unknowing, he started channeling a Payback, and rushed the rest of the distance to the cat, whose trainer was in too much surprise to react, as the Espeon tried to dodge too late to avoid the powerful and massive arms of the massive bear. In one Payback, the combined power of type advantage (due to the move's Dark-typing) and the might of Bewear was enough to knock out the frail Psychic-type. An easy victory in Fluffles' new form.

"I can't even right now, Percival. That was quite the shock to both of us. Although, let's face it, if it weren't for that, it would've been an easy win for me. Either way, that was fun. I'm heading to Cunife City. Want to join me?

 **Pokemon So Far:**

Fluffles (Bewear) - Moves: Tackle, Brutal Swing, Bide, Payback; Ability: Fluffy; Level: 27

Charles (Furfrou) - Moves: Headbutt, Bite, Sand Attack, Bady-Doll Eyes; Ability: Fur Coat; Level: 26

Unamed (Axew) - Moves: Dual Chop, Dragon Rage, Assurance, Scratch; Ability: Mold Breaker; Level: 25

AUTHOR'S NOTE - I hope Kyra left a good first impression! As you can see, we're basically working backwards on the generations with Percival's Pokemon, so expect a Gen 4 Pokemon next! This was a 3rd chapter that wasn't shorter, although with the long wait, it just wouldn't be right to give a mini chapter.


End file.
